Two teams in need of wins meet Saturday night at Red Bull Arena. Wednesday's victory over Houston via a stoppage-time goal by Juan Pablo Angel
halted a four-game losing streak for New York. Chivas USA have won just
once in their last five – three losses and a tie. The Goats are fast
approaching crisis mode in their season and, while it's too early to
say another loss will kick the can on their playoff hopes, they badly
need a win here.

Last meeting

This is the first time all season New York will face an opponent
they’ve played before in league play, and they won’t like what they
remember about their last meeting. On April 10, Chivas USA dropped the
Red Bulls 2-0 at the Home Depot Center in a match where the hosts took
their chances well and capitalized on individual mistakes, including an
own-goal, to take three points.

Heroes & Villians

“Bouna Time” vs. himself: In the April meeting with Chivas, goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul
put New York behind after an inexplicable own-goal. No one could figure
out what Coundoul was thinking then, and it's just as puzzling now. It
was the first goal conceded by New York all year long in what was an
ugly match for the Red Bulls. Coundoul has played reasonably well over
the past couple of games with no major gaffes. That said, a New York
offense in the bottom half of the league in goals scored means the Red
Bulls still need stellar play from their keeper.

Dan Kennedy vs. the Red Bulls' attack: With
Zach Thonrnton out due to suspension, Dan Kennedy and his lifetime 2.53
goals against average will be in net for Chivas USA. With the Red Bulls
mustering 21 shots on Wednesday night against Houston, 10 efforts on
goal, Kennedy will need to do better than his stats indicate to give
the visitors a shot in this game.

Stat that makes you go, “Hmm …”

Maybe Chivas USA should switch conferences. Two of the club’s three
wins on the season are against teams from the Eastern Conference. This
includes their season-best performance, a 4-0 win on Cinco de Mayo in
New England.

He said it

“I’m delighted that we managed to break that streak and win tonight.
It was important to win, hopefully we get a good result on Saturday,
and then we have the break to just regroup and start all over again.” –
New York’s Juan Pablo Angel, whose stoppage-time goal stopped a four
game losing streak for the Red Bulls